CONSTRUCTION is complete on the first phase of the transformation of Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries.
The first residents have started moving into the flats created at the community-owned High Street building now known as The Standard. Work on the community and enterprise hub which sits beneath them has been the final piece of the project to have been completed.
RH Irving Construction, the main contractor on the project which has turned the derelict shell of the former Baker’s Oven at 139 High Street into The Standard, has formally handed the site back to Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society.
Robert Richmond, chair of Midsteeple Quarter, said, “This is a community-owned building unlike any other in Dumfries. We are incredibly excited about what the future holds. Its completion marks the dawn of a new era for our town centre, where people return to living in quality, homes sitting above spaces which encourage entrepreneurship by giving people, enterprises and organisations affordable opportunities to have their own home on the High Street too.”
Kathryn Hill, Midsteeple Quarter’s interim executive director, added, “The Standard is the first step towards making our town centre not just a place where people work or visit, but one where they live, meeting demand for new homes and injecting fresh life into the area. What’s more, it’s a site not controlled by faceless owners, but the community through our members. Every decision we make has the best interest of the town at its heart.”
The seven flats for rent are described as the first new homes on the High Street in ‘living memory’, with many offering views across the town. Other spaces include a hot-desking hub, meeting rooms, exhibition and event areas.
Construction of The Standard – a £7.3 million project supported by the Scottish Government, South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries & Galloway Council and the Holywood Trust – has taken just over two years to complete. It has been named in honour of the site being the former home of the Dumfries & Galloway Standard newspaper.
The building features energy-efficiency measures including solar panels and an air-source heat pump. The development is also car-free, with no parking.
RH Irving Construction MD Mark Moodycliffe said, “We are proud and delighted to have successfully completed construction of The Standard – the first stage of what everyone hopes is an ongoing journey to regenerate and reimagine Dumfries town centre. This has been a challenging and complex project and I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our management, delivery teams and supply chain partners over the past two years.
“We have enjoyed strong constructive and collaborative relationships with Midsteeple Quarter, its project design team and other stakeholders, which has gone a long way towards successful completion.”
Midsteeple Quarter’s allocations work was led by the team at South of Scotland Community Housing. Tenancies are being managed by the social enterprise Homes for Good.
